selling homes: FIRPTA Exemptions On Home Sales - A Good Thing For Foreign Sellers - 11/16/11 04:48 PM
FIRPTA exemptions are something you don't generally deal with on a daily basis and it is a good idea to know a little about it. I am lucky to deal with foreign transactions on a regular basis but do realize that many Realtors don't.
If you are selling a home that belongs to a foreign national there is a 10% withholding that takes place at the closing table to satisfy the IRS taxes. Your foreign national must complete a tax return to get this money back but there is a way around this.
According to Internal Revenue Service Code 1445, if … (6 comments)
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selling homes: Selling Your Home? Decluttering Before Listing? Remember To Donate Those Unwanted Items - 06/23/11 09:10 AM
Selling your home? If you are, I am sure your Realtor already mentioned making your home look as vanilla as possible so that buyers can imagine their belongings in the new home. One thing you need to do BEFORE your home goes on the market is declutter!
YOU may think you don't have a lot of items but in this case, LESS is always better! Start now and go through every room. What things do you NOT want to move to your new residence? Those items need to go NOW.
Remember your local Hospice, Salvation Army, Goodwill, Women's Shelter or other … (9 comments)
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selling homes: Problem Solved............SUPER GIRL To The Rescue! - 06/14/11 10:19 AM
What is going to happen now? How do I get all of my belongings out of the home from this distance? Do I have to fly there for this? I really don't have the time right now!
Those are the questions and thoughts so many homeowners express when they are absentee homeowners heading toward the closing table. Who is going to get all of their 'stuff' out of the house? Where is it going to go? OMG, the homeowners go into panic mode,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,or........................
Tada.........enter SUPER GIRL! Or their listing Realtor, which is the same as having Super Girl on their side! (That is what … (11 comments)
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selling homes: Vacant Listings - WHO Cares For Them? - 05/30/11 01:56 PM
Vacant listings can be a challenge since they need to be maintained. If the owner is local, the lawn is probably being taken care of. But what about the rest of the home? Who makes sure that the carpet is clean, no trash has been left behind? Unfortunately, some agents allow their clients to bring in food and drinks and those containers don't always leave again.
If it has been raining, do you make sure that the tile floors don't have mud left behind?That they are dry, so nobody slips? I usually leave a piece of sample carpeting by the front door for … (27 comments)
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selling homes: Don't Let That Listing Sit Too Long! - 05/13/11 01:26 PM
Don't let that listing sit too long without any adjustments! There is nothing more deadly to a listing than to have it sit in the MLS without being updated with new photos, any adjustments to the listing information and above all PRICE ADJUSTMENTS ACCORDING TO MARKET FLUCTUATIONS!
Part of your marketing campaign should be monthly market reports for your seller so that you can adjust the list price accordingly! If you are not doing that, there will be a problem with:
1- Getting agents to show the listing
2- Receiving any offers on the listing
It is vital that when you … (4 comments)
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selling homes: Renovations? What Final Paperwork Do You Need Mr. Seller? - 02/07/11 09:42 AM
Here is some important information you will need if you reside here in the State of Florida and are having renovations done on the home you are planning on selling. This information is vital because without it you may run into difficulty at the closing table! Save yourself and the title company time and money by having the necessary paperwork trail on your renovation work!
I was not aware of all of this paperwork until I discussed it with Real Estate Attorney Michael Heath who has law offices on Treasure Island in St Petersburg Florida. Here is what I found out:
… (4 comments)
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selling homes: Should I Rent Or Should I Sell ????? - 01/13/11 04:51 PM
Should I rent or should I sell? This is one question that I hear over and over again from homeowners. Many are frustrated that it is taking longer in the current market for homes and condos to sell and are wondering if they would be better off simply renting 'until the market turns around'.
Let's set one thing straight right away: prices are not going to go up as fast as they just came down! Anyone that thinks renting for a year or two will bring them into the kind of market we had a few years ago is fooling themselves!
… (5 comments)
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selling homes: HAFA/HAMP Class At Pinellas Realtor Organization - 11/10/10 04:56 PM
Today I attended a HAFA/HAMP class at the Pinellas Realtor Organization. My brokerage, Charles Rutenberg Realty, was responsible for our continuing education class. This is something I have come to expect from what I consider to be the best brokerage in the nation!
Susan Dutcher was the first speaker and she explained the new HAMP and HAFA programs that are now in existence to expedite the short sale process on conventional loans. There is always so much going on in the real estate industry and Charles Rutenberg makes sure that this information gets to their agents.
After Susan answered the … (1 comments)
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selling homes: Listing Your House? De-clutter!! - 08/09/10 03:28 PM
I have said this over and over again - de-clutter if you are selling your home! When I walked into this villa I almost had a heart attack! There was hardly a place on the wall that did NOT have something on it! And while it might look cute to one person, not everyone thinks the same. When there is too much of 'everything' it is difficult for a buyer to imagine what it would look like with THEIR belongings in the new place!
The above photo is the lanai which had limited light to begin with and then cute … (9 comments)
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selling homes: I Am A Local Real Estate Expert - Zillow Is Not - 07/31/10 03:27 PM
So glad to hear that I am not the only one that does not understand why people use Zillow - a program with old information and no local knowledge!
Via Leesa L. Finley -Wake Forest NC REALTOR® Wake Forest NC & Raleigh NC Real Estate (Circa Properties - Your Wake Forest NC Homes Specialist):
I Am A Local Real Estate Expert - Zillow is Not Whether you are thinking of buying a home or possibly selling your home you more than likely have stumbled upon Zillow and thought you hit the mother-load of real estate information! It's a fancy site … (4 comments)
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selling homes: Melting Out Showing Homes - 07/12/10 04:29 PM
I was out showing homes all morning and was absolutely MELTING in the heat!!! It is that time of year, humid everywhere, from Maine all the way down to Florida, summer is here!!! At least after a day of showing homes I can change and hop into the Gulf of Mexico for a swim to cool off!
Those are the advantages of living here in the Sunshine State!!! Blue skies and fantastic beaches!!!
… (0 comments)
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selling homes: Things We Realtors Do For Clients - 07/08/10 03:04 PM
Yesterday I got a letter in the mail from a client up north. I have their condo listed and they are not planning on coming back - ever again! They want me to sell the place that they have had for over twenty years for their winter vacations simply because they no longer want to drive so far.
Before leaving a few months ago they packed up everythiing they wanted to keep and took it with them. The condo is being sold furnished. The letter that just came was asking me to take their cable box and remote control to the … (12 comments)
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selling homes: Preparing Your Home For A Showing - 07/01/10 02:24 PM
Well, you have your home listed with a fantastic agent and want to make sure that you do all you can to have it ready to be shown. Your work can make the difference in getting your home sold quickly or having it sit on the market for months and months!
Since you have already read my blog post on Preparing Your Home For Sale and have taken care of that part of it, you are now going to tackle the final portion!
Let's start with little things you can take care of on the exterior:
* Make sure the lawn is mowed on … (6 comments)
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selling homes: Preparing Your Home For Sale - 06/29/10 04:52 PM
You are going to put your home on the market and are wondering what you should do to prepare. Here is a list of ideas that will get your home ready for the market and make the process much smoother.
I cannot stress de-cluttering enough. Most of the people who come through your home will have difficulty imagining their own furniture in your place if there is a lot of clutter and personal items everywhere. Take down most of those photos of Auntie Anna and Grandma. While they mean a lot to you, they will not help sell your home.
If … (2 comments)
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selling homes: Selling For An International Client? Remember That The IRS Gets 10% - 06/23/10 01:29 PM
If you are working as the listing agent on a residential property owned by someone who is NOT a US citizen, remember that 10% of the selling price has to be taken from the client at the closing table to satisfy that 10% IRS requirement. The seller can file a tax return in January to get a refund if one is due.
The seller can also apply for relief from the IRS's 10% withholding by filing a Withholding Certificate. The seller is still required to file a tax return in January.
When the tax return is filed in January, the seller will … (5 comments)
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selling homes: Little Things Can Help Sell Your Home - 06/16/10 05:23 PM
Little things can indeed sell your home and make a difference in how quickly it sells! I always try to give clients a full list of things they need to do at the time I take the listing. One of the major things is to DE-CLUTTER! Nothing will scare a potential buyer out the door faster than a home that has too much of everything in it! People just cannot imagine what it will look like with their belongings in it if you have a lot of clutter!!!
Remember to keep the place tidy and the dishes out of the sink … (5 comments)
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selling homes: Summer Is Here - Keep The Air Conditioning On In Your Listed Property! - 06/07/10 02:46 PM
Summer is indeed here and today I walked into a beachfront condo with clients to find it hotter than - well you get the idea! The air conditioning was turned off!!! The first thing I did was check to make sure there was power. My thought was that the seller had turned off the power and water.
Nope - power was on! So the owner or the listing agent turned the air conditioning off??? Do they want mildew and MOLD to start growing? It is in the 90's already down here! I called the listing agent and let him know … (2 comments)
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selling homes: Advertising Listings Gets Homes Sold - 06/03/10 03:43 PM
I have a wonderful listing that I took over a couple of weeks ago. My client had been with a friend that is in real estate prior to listing with me. Her complaint was that the place was never shown. I wondered why..... sometimes agents just put the listing in the MLS and are done with their work. That won't get the place sold in this market!
Today, when I called her for the fifth time in a week to schedule a showing for another agent, she commented on how much the place is getting shown. I explained that I do … (10 comments)
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selling homes: Negotiating - That Is What We As Realtors Do! - 05/18/10 10:52 AM
Negotiating is such an important part of our job as realtors! Right now I am in the middle of another round of negotiating..............a preforeclosure on the beaches. The bank is going to be taking quite a hit on this one but they want to move it soon. Water view (both Gulf of Mexico and intercoastal) in a great condo on Island Estates.
Remember that when you choose a realtor to work with you want someone with a proven track record in negotiating! That is something you can only learn with time and experience!!! I would love to assist you purchase … (7 comments)
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selling homes: Wait Until The Home Is Ready Before Listing And Taking Photos - 05/17/10 03:48 PM
A good friend of Ron's has a wonderful 5 bedroom 4 bath home with a 5 car garage as well as a garage for his RV to park. There is a pool, a pond and a creek. Plenty of trees, including fruit trees. All of this is on a little over two acres of land just across the Pasco County line off Seven Springs Road.
This friend is going through a divorce and has been living single for over a year now, so the place needs some TLC before photos are taken. He mentioned that I should list it for him … (6 comments)
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